Music in East Africa

I’m headed off to the coast for a few days because work’s been slow. This past weekend I was in Nairobi and I went to a UB40 concert. I had never heard of them before, but every Kenyan who I told I was going was very jealous. It turns out that they are a British Reggae band that sings a million songs I know you’ve heard, like Red Red Wine. I went with a few volunteers and some Kenyans and we had a good time dancing and hanging out.

Music and dancing is really big in Kenya. There’s plenty of “traditional” music around, but the pop scene is overflowing too. There are lots of rap and hip-hop artists in Kenya and Tanzania, and lately I discovered there is even a Somalian hip-hop scene. Oh, but once you enter my house it’s almost always all metal, all the time! Here’s some music to keep you busy while I’m gone.